Okay folks, I wanted to get peoples opinion on a unique project I've been planning. I have a 92 subaru legacy wagon AWD with only 100k on the engine. No issues other than a messed up body from my brother and I doing dumb stuff. We're both mountain bikers and want a shuttle vehicle that can hold as many people and bikes as possible. (A shuttle vehicle is driven up and down a beat up road, bringing riders from the bottom of the trail to the top, loaded down with expensive bikes and people).  Here's what we're thinking:

 

Lift the car 5-8 inches for increased clearance, mount a hitch rack on the rear for a heavy duty bike rack, install rear-facing seats (a bench maybe?)  in the back of the car by taking off the back door and cutting out the top rear section for head-clearance, and put bigger wheels on it with off-road tires. 

 

We also want to put on new suspension, something that can handle big potholes and a ridiculous amount of weight loaded at the back of the car (6-tray bike rack with DH bikes hanging off it). We want to be able to fit 8 people with their bikes.

 

Now if you can tell from this post, I don't know a damn thing about cars. I'm a bike mechanic but that's a far cry from autos. 

 

So my question to you smarter folks is, what would you do to make all this happen, and how feasible is it for someone like myself to pull it off?

 

Keep in mind,  I don't care if the car drives on the highway and city like garbage. It's gonna look offensive, and I'll install speakers to blast Slayer inside and out. Maybe take the muffler off just because, and add a huge "Pop country sucks" sticker on the back. That kinda car. We want it too look as punk rock as possible. 

 

Thanks for the help, and have fun helping me ruin a perfectly good vehicle. 

I like the idea, but it isn't realistic.

 

8 people and 8 bikes weighs ALOT.

 

8 x 160 lbs = 1280

 

8 x 45 lbs = 360

 

 

So, 1640+ lbs of cargo.  That is DOUBLE what the car was rated for.  Plus you're talking about hanging alot of it off the back end

 

you would need to incorporate beefier springs and struts to have a chance of holding that weight.

 

Plus with the addition of lift and larger tires?  You won't have the power and gearing to climb any hills.

I like the idea, but it isn't realistic.

 

8 people and 8 bikes weighs ALOT.

 

8 x 160 lbs = 1280

 

8 x 45 lbs = 360

 

 

So, 1640+ lbs of cargo.  That is DOUBLE what the car was rated for.  Plus you're talking about hanging alot of it off the back end

 

you would need to incorporate beefier springs and struts to have a chance of holding that weight.

 

Plus with the addition of lift and larger tires?  You won't have the power and gearing to climb any hills.

thanks for the reality check haha

did you misspell ' Suburban ' ?

 

 

lol!

 

 

I'd be tempted to rig 2 vehicles for redundancy,  so , even if it slows the operation down, you have a back-up vehicle.

Edited October 31, 20178 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

did you misspell ' Suburban ' ?

 

 

lol!

 

 

I'd be tempted to rig 2 vehicles for redundancy,  so , even if it slows the operation down, you have a back-up vehicle.

haha if I had one laying around I'd be trying to do something stupid with that. True, but folks with a truck are easy to come by so back up isn't really necessary. I want this thing to surprise people when it rolls up to the trail. 

I like the idea, but it isn't realistic.

 

8 people and 8 bikes weighs ALOT.

 

8 x 160 lbs = 1280

 

8 x 45 lbs = 360

 

 

So, 1640+ lbs of cargo.  That is DOUBLE what the car was rated for.  Plus you're talking about hanging alot of it off the back end

 

you would need to incorporate beefier springs and struts to have a chance of holding that weight.

 

Plus with the addition of lift and larger tires?  You won't have the power and gearing to climb any hills.

Also  I've done 6 people and bikes before. it's no rally car, but I didn't find it too bad getting up the hills. If I reduced the lift (maybe just a stock forester one) and just went with slightly larger tires, would it still be too much? I would definitely incorporate beefier springs and struts. Not sure if there's anything easy I could do to get more power out of the engine as well, so any ideas to make this atrocity real would be appreciated (I'm completely ignorant about cars, obv haha). Maybe an anti sway bar just because. 

well, peeling off the top and losing the hatch would SAVE some weight - but it also brings problems like increased body flex so - not great.

 

honestly, I just don't think this vehicle could last long. maybe with a dual range trans, maybe a stronger clutch, a spare engine waiting at home, spare trans.... I dunno - these other guys have more experience with off-road rigs.

 

Trax would be a surprise;

 

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgW7DcyROaI

well, peeling off the top and losing the hatch would SAVE some weight - but it also brings problems like increased body flex so - not great.

 

honestly, I just don't think this vehicle could last long. maybe with a dual range trans, maybe a stronger clutch, a spare engine waiting at home, spare trans.... I dunno - these other guys have more experience with off-road rigs.

 

Trax would be a surprise;

 

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgW7DcyROaI

 Yeah shuttling cars in general beats em up, and I don't think this hack-job would last too long either.

 

At least the shuttle roads it would be on I would not consider "off-road", most are forest service access roads and BLM/logging ones. Pot holes are the biggest thing I plan to drive over, I'm not too interested in doing anything gnarly. I may try to tone this idea down a bit but still stick some heavy springs on the car with tires suited to gravel roads. 

check into rallitek and king springs

 

with a very high lift, you may need those HERI axles - lots of extension.

Sounds like fun...  throw some of those bikes up on the roof. Mount your rear hitch high for ground clearance. Heck throw a hitch on the front as well !  As everybody has said "It Won't Last ! "  But who cares.... your doing this for the hxll of it . Look at some air bags for the rear , airum up if you need more suspension. Larger tires cost more money... forest service roads tear them up. Use whats cheap and readily available. I have heard about dual range trannys for that year coming out of japan.... you could really cruise in low range...  HAVE FUN !        EDIT;  Oh yea... if you remove the back hatch and drive up a dusty dry mountain road you better have dust mask's for everyone to wear...

Edited November 1, 20178 yr by montana tom

someone should put together a kickstarter to get a pallet-full of DR trans sent over from Oz, or Japan or S. America - wherever they can be found.

 

people always want them.

Edited November 1, 20178 yr by 1 Lucky Texan